


mine

by sleeponrooftops



Series: lifeboats [4]
Category: The Almighty Johnsons
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-09
Updated: 2013-04-09
Packaged: 2017-12-08 00:09:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/754690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleeponrooftops/pseuds/sleeponrooftops
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anders always waits in the window for Mike to come home after school until one day he isn’t there.  When he does finally come home, with their mum trying to play her role, Mike reminds her Anders is <i>his</i> to keep safe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	mine

Mike starts taking the bus home from school, and he has to walk from the corner to his house.  After the first week on the bus, Anders starts to cry around the time Mike gets out of school, and he doesn’t stop until the nanny brings him to the window, and they sit there, waiting for his older brother to get home from school.  When Mike starts primary school, Anders is two and can make his way around the house pretty well, having conversations with the furniture and the nanny, but he still can’t reach the windowsill by himself.  He’s stopped crying, though, and just waits by the window until the nanny lifts him up, and he’s always there when Mike comes home.

 

When Anders is four, and Mike is eight, their mum’s belly starts growing again, and Anders can get himself up onto the windowsill with a little stool the nanny found in the garage.  And then there’s one day when Anders isn’t there, and Mike frowns as he approaches the house, the large bay window empty.  He lets himself into the house and searches every nook and cranny, calling his brother’s name, and he only takes off his jacket and puts away his backpack once he’s finished.  The house is empty, and he wanders into the kitchen, looking for a note on the fridge like his mum sometimes leaves for the nanny.  There’s nothing there, and so he goes out into the garage, checking to see if Anders is playing out here even though he knows he shouldn’t.  There’s no one in there, but the dryer is open, so he checks inside, but Anders isn’t hiding there, either.

 

And so Mike goes upstairs and does what little homework he has.  It’s still light out when he finishes that, so he pulls the rocking chair into the hallway, pulls down the stairs to the attic, and goes up.  He finds Anders’ old crib, pushes it toward the opening, and lets it tumble through.  It doesn’t break, thankfully, but it takes him a few tries before he can get it back on its legs and push it into the room.  He puts the attic stairs back up, drags the rocking chair back into the room, and rearranges things until he can fit the crib in one of the four corners of the room.  He thinks about his mum’s growing belly and what that meant last time, and he hopes that it’s another little baby brother because he doesn’t think he’d know how to raise a little girl.

 

Anders’ new bed is across from Mike’s at their request, and so the crib goes in its old spot, diagonal from Mike’s bed.  It’s a little cramped in here now, with the dresser next to the crib and the rocking chair near the end of Mike’s bed, and Mike has to spend some time tidying up so that everything can really fit, but he sits on his bed smiling for a while, thinking about him and Anders keeping this new baby safe.

 

When it’s finally dark out, Mike goes down and sits on the windowsill, holding his knees against his chest and trying not to cry.  He hates being alone, and he hasn’t been in so long that it hurts deep inside of him until his whole body aches.  It’s well past dinnertime before the headlights finally come down the street, and Mike stares at the car until it pulls into the driveway, and then he dives from the windowsill and barrels out of the house, running down the walkway and hopping from foot to foot at the edge of the driveway.

 

Grandpa gets out and comes over to him, trying to say something, but Mike speaks over him, “Where’s Anders?”

 

“Right here, baby,” his mum says as she comes around the car, holding a sleeping Anders in her arms.  His right hand is all bandaged up in a cast, and he’s not wearing a jacket even though it’s cold out, and Mike just wants to scream.

 

He holds out his arms as his mum approaches, but she just smiles at him and continues past, and he turns, frowning.  “ _Mum_ ,” he says before she can reach the door, and she turns, blinking at him.  “Give him to me,” he says, stepping forward.

 

“Sweetie, your brother needs to go to sleep.  He had an accident today, and he needs his rest.”

 

“You never take care of him!” Mike yells, glaring at her, “You never do!  He’s _my_ brother!  _I_ keep him safe, not you!”

 

“Now look what you’ve done,” his mum sighs when Anders stirs, whining softly.  “Go back to sleep, baby,” she whispers to Anders, but he pushes away from her and looks behind her.

 

“Mike!” he cries, squirming in her arms until she makes an irritated noise and kneels, setting him on his feet.  Mike hurries over to him as Anders stumbles and regains his footing, his bad arm in a sling and his eyes droopy.

 

“It’s okay, Ands,” he mumbles as he picks his little brother up, “You’re okay now.”  He carries him into the house, stepping around his mother, and she stares after him in shock.

 

Mike takes him upstairs and helps him undress and put on his pajamas before he gets him settled in bed.  “I’m hungry, Mike,” Anders says, and Mike nods, drawing the blankets up around his waist and running a hand through his curls.

 

“Stay right here, and I’ll get you some dinner, okay?  Bear will keep you safe,” he promises, handing Anders his teddy.  Anders wraps his good arm around the teddy and leans his chin on its head, watching Mike leave.

 

Downstairs, he opens the fridge and finds ingredients for sandwiches for him and his brother.  His mum is sitting at the kitchen table, her head in her hands, though she looks up when Mike lays everything out and starts making their dinner.  “Mike,” she says softly, but he doesn’t look at her, too furious with her for taking away his brother and trying to keep him away.  “Mike, sweetie, I’m sorry you came home and no one was here.”

 

“What happened to Anders?” he asks, cutting her off.

 

She sighs, looking at him for a long moment before saying, “His fingers got slammed in the dryer door.”

 

“I _told_ him not to play in the garage,” Mike mutters, “I told him it was dangerous.”

 

“Don’t be mad at him, sweetie.”

 

“I’m _not_ ,” he says, lifting his gaze to glare at his mother, “I’m mad at _you_.”

 

“Mike—”

 

“Are we going to have another baby?”

 

“Would you like another one?”

 

“A brother,” Mike admits before sliding off the chair and putting the food away.  When he comes back over, he stops by his mum, laying a hand on her belly and leaning close so he can whisper, “Don’t worry, little brother, I’ll keep you safe, too.  Anders and I will take care of you.”

 

“Mike—”

 

He takes the sandwiches and juices and leaves, running from the kitchen and hurrying back upstairs.  Anders is yawning when he enters the room, and he sits on his bed with him while they eat.  “I told you not to play in the garage,” Mike says after a while of silence, and Anders looks at him with big, sad eyes.

 

“I know,” he mumbles, “I’m sorry, Mikey.”

 

“It’s okay.  You just have to be careful, okay?  We’re going to have a baby brother to look after soon, and you have to teach him to be careful.”

 

“A brother?” Anders repeats, suddenly hopeful and excited, “Like you?”

 

“Yeah, except little.  I’m your older brother.  He’ll be your little brother.”

 

“So he gets two older brothers?”

 

“Right.”

 

“He’s lucky.  I love you, Mikey.”

 

Mike just smiles and leans over, kissing Anders on the forehead.  “I love you, too, Ands.  Now go to sleep.  I’ll be back in a minute.”  He helps his brother get under the blankets and curl up with his teddy before he leaves, flicking the nightlight on and the overhead light off.  When he comes back from putting the dishes away, Anders is breathing softly, and he falls asleep thinking about having two little brothers.


End file.
